wild landscape, then she also laughed.

"I should not care much if I never did. This sort of life has its
attractions, and it offers real interests and real excitements. There
are worse things than the wilderness."

"You have not been up here in winter, have you, Miss Yardely?"

"No," she replied, "but I should like to have the experience."

He puffed meditatively at his pipe and made a calculation, then he said
rather enigmatically, "You may yet have the chance, Miss Yardely, if
you remain to look after me."

"I certainly shall remain," was the uncompromising reply. "But what do
you mean, Mr. Stane?"

"Well," he explained, "it will be some weeks at least before I can face
the trail, and that means that autumn will be on us before we can move.
And you have had a little experience of what trailing and packing one's
goods in this country means. Even when we are able to start we shall
not be able to travel fast, and the nearest point of civilization is
Fort Malsun."

"How long will it take us to reach the fort?"

"I do not know," he replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "I have
only been there on the one occasion you know of--and then by water.
Much will depend on the sort of country that lies between here and
there, but I am afraid we shall have hard work to make it before winter
overtakes us."

"Then we shall have to make the best of things," answered the girl
lightly.

"There is, of course, the chance that we may be found by some
search-party sent out by your uncle; and there is the further
possibility that we may stumble on some Indian camp; but apart from
these contingencies, I am afraid we can expect no help but what we can
find in ourselves, and it will be very necessary to husband our
resources, as I warned you two days ago."

The girl refused to be daunted. "This is a game country," she replied
cheerfully. "We shall not starve. Tomorrow I shall go hunting--and you
will see, Mr. Stane, oh, you will see! After all it was not for nothing
that I went to Scotland every autumn. I will fill the pot, never fear."

He looked at her smiling face, remembered what she had already done,
and then spoke enthusiastically.

"I believe you will, Miss Yardely."

No more was said upon the matter until next day, when whilst she was
engaged in building a new tepee for herself she hurried into the camp,
and picked up the rifle.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Meat," she whispered laughingly, "on four legs and with horn